Selfish?

I am generally a pretty selfish person... or so I've been told.  You see, I consider knitting to be a hobby of mine... I spend money on it, I devote time to it and I have become good at it.  So my philosophy is 'Why should you benefit from my hobby?'.  I mean really!  I don't benefit from other people's hobbies... I don't get to go up to my stamp collector friend and demand an antique stamp just because I need to mail a letter!  I don't get to throw a tantrum at my cake decorator friend and demand that they make me a ten tier fondant covered masterpiece just because I like cake and want one!  So my philosophy states that it is unreasonable for someone to expect to benefit from my hobby just because they want to.  I make things for me.  I dye things for me.  I spin yarn for me and I knit it up into things for meeeeee!  Because it's my time and effort that have gone into crafting the item, and I want to have it.  Do I wear everything that I have made?  No.  Is it required that you wear everything you make the second it falls off the needles?  No, of course not!  I have shawls and hats (mostly) that I haven't worn once.  Am I going to give them away just because I am not currently using it?  NO!  Do I want to sell said same item just because I could get twenty dollars?  Uh, no!?!  The materials alone for most ot the stuff I make do not come to less than twenty dollars... Most of the hats that I've made are closer to $25 in materials alone and the shawls and scarves climb heftily past that!

However, that being said, I DO like to give things away when my heart and mind deem it.  I've given away or knit specifically for someone five hats.  I've knit specifically for two people scarves.  And most recently, my biggest unselfish knitting item has been that baby blanket!  I'm finally done!  640 yards of DK weight yarn down the hatch!  Now, for all you who don't know really how much that is... it's like knitting two shawls or around 6 hats... And I'm so excited to give it away!  It was a marathon of knitting!  It took me just a little over two weeks to complete and it's not got a single mistake! (altho that wasn't much of an acheivement, as it's just garter stitch).  Anyway, I'm now just waiting for the fabric to come in so I can sew the backing on and then it's done and ready to be gifted to the sweet baby boy it was made for!

I guess I'm not really that selfish... I just sometimes feel a bit defensive because the general feeling of those around me (besides knitters) is that my time is worth nothing and if it should make them happy to 'have' one of my items, then what's the hold up.  Well selfish jerks, the hold up is that you are neither deserving of or worthy of something hand knit... because you obviously don't know the time and effort (and sometimes tears and curses) that goes in to every single item I make... and until I start to see cakes and stamps being offered at my feet, you're not getting a thing!  Next time you tell me I 'SHOULD' knit you something, don't be surprised when I tell you that you 'SHOULD' grow up and stop acting like an entitled child!